penick



June 28, 1949. A. J. PENICK ,47

PACKER FOR WELLS Filed Oct. 20, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY 51/ MM INVENTOR.

Patented June 28, 1949 #UZNITED 1: saws NiT Fries A Arthur J. .Penick}. Houston, Tex.,--. assignonto Oil Center Tool" Company,.tHouston, 'Tex., a .corpo'ration f"Texas Applicationvoctober 20,1944; Serial N0.'-. 559;530

Claims. (Cl; 1661 12) couplings and l llnand the collar 21 hereinafter vreferred-$0, together with the packers. l5 and. 29

1 This inventionrelates to a.pacl er. for walls. An object of theinvention isto. providemeans for forming a seal between anouter pipe, or .casrconstitute.whatanay be termed .thepackenasing, set in a wellbore. and an inner pipe, or tub- .semb1-y-,which is-connected intothe inner .pipe 2. ing, in the casing. 5 :r'I herlel is aytubular nipple, l-l.., onto-lthe,,upper Anothen objectof-the invention is to-provide mendofa whichtthet coupling 1. is screwedand this a novel type of sleeve like packing element with mnipple is aconnected to: the upper end ofcthe. exupper-and lower sets of-slips to holdsaidelement pander 3 by means of: aeshearable ipin l2--.with

. expanded againstthe casing with novelnmeans iitheyupper .endof-thenipple in;abuttingnre1ation for retaining the packingzelement toprevent it 1 -'-;with-,-the. lowera e ndcoi-flthe collar. 6. lThetnipple from flowing when subjected vt ..,endwise com- Milt-hasasplinedsconnectionwith theexpander 3 pression. e bymeans of the, key |3.

With the above and otherobjectsin view. the l .There'is a tubular packi r ain r: .14 a ound invention has particular relation to certain novel w i ndspa ed fmm theupper P n f t features of construction, arrangement. of..parts, 5np n rra t l w l n p kin "reand use, an example of. which is. given .in. this itainer is-xformed-iwitha-thel inwardlyturned-fiange specification andlillustratedinthe accompanying Ma which cl s lyrsu r u dszt i pp expander drawings, wherein: 3-5 and supportedronsthe. rfiange lda is suitable Figure 1 is avertical,sectionalview of theuppackingvllformed oft-the upper and lower-series per end of the assembly. go q p k iringsrwith atmetal ringtv ls. between Figure 2 is tical, sectional .viewpfy-aninanthems Theipackingr lz5galso incl-udes a-lower. metal termediate portion. of the. assembly showing the Ki I -.'l ontthe. flange :11 lawand, thegllp packer element'contracted. ring i8. Supported on the metal.-ring.. I8. is =the Figure 3 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional ha-ped ta -rin I9 into whichrthelower end view showing the-packenelementexpanded. -of the ,nipl 1e lit-fits.

Figure 4 is a vertical, sectional view. of an in- Screwedinto the uppenend of the packing retermediate portion of the -assemb1y ;.,a,nd .dtainelkrl ll there. is a g1andl20 whose lowerend Figure 5' is a vertical,.-sectionall view. of..,the abuts e O d a u a r won he 1 r endthgregf, nipple H. to prevent detachment of thecnipple Figures 1, 2, 4..and 5show. the-.COmp1ete'aS-. iromstheipacking.retainer.uponupwardmovesembly with the packer element collapsed and 17 f inner t n the views being consecutive sections of thease e is a--S e 'Oficasing. e in l DSa sembly from above downwardly, around the expanderaandwhose lowerehds are Referring more. particularly t the drawings 'Ntapered to conform tovthe tapered'portion of. said the numeral l designates an outerpipe, or.casing, 5 JML diJ e-ul per..-e dS.0f-t e slips. 22..have t i 1 borevand th a 2 designates dovetailed .extensions;.23,.which are fitted. into the inner pipe, or tubing. Iesponding1y. shaped. slots. 24. in a. surrounding c nn t d i t th jnnerpipe there is t 1.'.=.band'25.i'.'..fI'his,band is, .formed of. sections and is per expander 3 whose lower .end is,..externally, welded totne lower end of the packing retainer tapered upwardly, the intermediate expander 4 Hlby,the.-'we1di'25a.1;At least one' of. the slips..22 os upper n externallyrtapered downis pinned tothe expander 3 by the. shearable. pin wardly and the..10wer. expander 5 havjng an in- WZB 80.35130. hbld. Said slipsretracted, orin inactive ,termediate portionwhich istapered downwardly, .w-l-position, t e -p k r-. e bly is bein externally.. The expanders 3 and 4 are screwed I loweredtogether, as shown in Figure 2...and. the .upper L Screwed onto the.loweriend"of..the intermediend f theexpander 3 i xt d d upwardly a d Late expander?! there is an. external collar2l, and screwed onto the upper end thereof there isan Y Surrounding the lower end'of the e n .4 With external collar 5 .....its. lower..end.,abutti ng.said collar. 27 there. is a There isranelongated.coupling I. whose..-upp r .i-nipple .28 lwhich...has a splined .connection with end is inwardly thickened and formed-.With theainterm'ediate expander lLand eu e coarse threads 8 into which the coarseexternal .ofthe lowere pandr-i is ,screwedionto the. lower threads of the pin 9,ofthe coupling H]. are endof. this nipp1ei28. screwed. .-This coupling. [0 is connected..to...the Asleevelike packer. 29...surrou'nds. the expander portion ofthe tubing Labove. 4.. It may ebe.. form'edi of..rubber or similar :ex-

- .The. expanders 3; hand 5, rthercollar 6,..thel pansiblermateriatand has a pluralitybf' metal bands, or rings 30, embedded therein; or instead of these rings the reinforcement may be formed of a continuous spiral formed of metal.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the expander 4 has an upwardly facing external shoulder 3| which is spaced from the opposing lower end of the upper expander 3 which lower end forms a downwardly facing shoulder 32. The extreme upper end of the nipple 28 forms an upwardly facing shoulder 33.

Between the shoulders 3| and 32 there is a ring 34 and between the shoulder 33 and the opposing end of the packing sleeve 29 there is a ring 35. The upper and lower sides of the respective rings 34 and 35 taper, or converge, outwardly as shown in Figure 2. These rings 34 and 35 are preferably formed of brass or other metal which will yield under pressure and they abut the upper and lower ends of the packing sleeve as shown. In other words the rings 34, 35 are dished or generally convexo-concave in shape and when the resilient packer element 23 is expanded as hereinafter explained, the rings 34, 35 are deformed, bending or tilting about the inner edge of each ring remote from the packer and spreading outwardly of the outer periphery of the tool and bridging the space between the tool and the inner wall of the casing.

Around the lower expander are the slips 35 whose inner sides are tapered to conform to the taper of said expander. The lower ends of these slips have dovetailed extensions 31 which are fitted into corresponding shaped slots 38 in the swiveling ring 39. They are retained therein by the surrounding band 43 which is Welded to the ring 39 by the weld M. The ring 39 has a swiveling connection with a complemental ring 42 as shown in Figure 4 and the upper ends of the outwardly bowed wiper springs 43 are fastened to the ring 42 while their lower ends are fastened to the lower ring 44, said rings surrounding the tubular extension of the expander 5, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The lower ring 44 has a transverse J-slot 45 whose inner end has a downwardly extended notch in which the pin 45 is seated. This pin may be screwed into said tubular downward extension of the expander 5.

The packer assembly may be assembled as shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5 and lowered into the casing to the desired point at which it is desired to set the packer. The inner string may then be elevated and turned to the left to unseat the pin 46 from the J-slot and the inner string then lowered. The wiper springs 43 will hold the slips 36 against further downward movement and as the expander 5 moves downwardly the slips will be moved outwardly and their external teeth will engage the casing and will stop the downward movement of the expander 5. Upon further downward movement of the inner string the expanders 3 and 4 will be moved further downwardly thus applying a compressive force to the packer 29 to cause its expansion. This compressive force will spread the rings 34, 35, moving the upper ring upwardly and outwardly and the lower ring downwardly and outwardly into the position shown in Figure 3 so that they will bridge the space between the packer assembly and the outer casing and effectively prevent the packer 29 from flowing upwardly and downwardly between the inner assembly and the outer casing as clearly indicated in Figure 3. It may be here stated that the sleeve like packer 29 may be made of lead or other soft material. Additional weight of the inner pipe 2 above will now shear the pin l2 and the nipple II will move on downwardly shearing the pin 26 and causing the slips 22 to move downwardly into engagement with the outer casing and the external teeth on said slips will engage with the casing and maintain the packer 23 in expanded position.

The additional weight on the inner pipe 2 will expand the packing l5 and maintain the same expanded so as to form a fluid tight seal around the tubular upwardly extended end of the expander 3. This will prevent the fluid flowing upwardly through the inner pipe from finding its way into the space between the inner pipe and the outer casing i.

If it should be desired to release the packing the inner pipe, and packer assembly, may be pulled upwardly and turned to the right and the pin 43 re-engaged in the J-slot 45 and the packer 29 thus relieved from the compressive force and the assembly may be elevated or lowered in the casing and reset, the collar 6 hanging on the upper end of the nipple l i while the packing assembly is being elevated or lowered.

If for any reason the packer cannot be released the pipe 2 may be turned to the left and the coarse threads connecting the upper portion of the pipe to the coupling 1 unscrewed and that portion of the inner pipe above may then be withdrawn from the well.

What I claim is:

1. In a packer assembly adapted to be lowered into a casing in a well, two tubular telescoping parts movable axially relative to each other and forming a packer support, a resilient, expansible, sleeve-like packer around One of said parts, annular substantially transverse, shoulders on the respective parts spaced from the corresponding ends of the packer, a dished ring of pliant, malleable material around said support between each shoulder and the adjacent end of the packer, the upper and lower surfaces of each ring converging outwardly with respect to the corresponding surfaces of the other ring thus providing annular, outwardly flared, spaces between said rings and the adjacent shoulders, said shoulders being movable toward each other to apply endwise cornpressive force to the packer to expand the packer, said rings being tiltable about their inner margins, in response to said force, and deformable to bridge the space between the packer support and casing.

2. Means for forming a seal between an outer well casing and an inner string of pipe in the casing comprising, a resilient expansible, nonmetallic, sleeve like packer supported by the inner string, annular shoulders on the inner string adjacent the respective ends of the packer for applying an endwise compressive force to said packer to expand the same against the casing and upper and lower rings, convexo-concave in shape, at the ends of the packer which are formed of pliant, malleable, non-resilient material and which converge outwardly, the outer margin of said upper ring being movable upwardly and outwardly and the outer margin of the lower ring being movable downwardly and outwardly, upon application of said compressive force, to bridge the space between the inner strihg of pipe and outer casing to prevent the endwise flow of the packer.

3. A packer for wells for forming a seal between an outer casing in the well and an inner pipe in the casing comprising, telescopically arranged parts connected to the inner pipe, a resilient, ex-

5 pansible sleeve-like packer around one of said parts, external, annular, substantially transverse, abutments on the respective parts adjacent the respective ends of the packer, pliant, malleable, rings of non-resilient material around the parts between the ends of the packer and the corresponding abutments, the upper and lower surfaces of said rings converging outwardly and thus providing annular outwardly flared spaces between the rings and corresponding abutments,

said abutments forming means for applying an endwise compressive force to the packer, upon relative longitudinal movement of said parts in one direction, to expand the packer against said casing and said rings being tiltable, in response to said force, against said abutments, and being also expansible to allow their outer margins to move, in response to said force, across and to close, the space between the tubing assembly and said casing.

4. A packer for wells for forming a seal between an outer casing in the well and an inner pipe in the casing comprising, telescopically arranged parts connected to the pipe, a resilient expansible sleeve-like packer around one of said parts, external, annular, substantially transverse, abutments on the respective parts adjacent the respective ends of the packer, pliant, malleable, rings of non-resilient material around the parts between the ends of the packer and the corresponding abutments whose upper and lower surfaces converge outwardly with annular outwardly flared spaces between the rings and corresponding abutments, said abutments forming means for applying an endwise compressive force to the packer, upon relative longitudinal movement of said parts in one direction, to expand the packer against said casing, said rings being tiltable, in response to said force, against said abutments with their outer margins across the space between the tubing assembly and said casing to prevent flowing of the packer.

5. A packer means for forming a seal between an outer well casing and an inner string of pipe in a casing including, an annular expansible sleeve-like packing element supported by the inner string, an annular external shoulder on said inner string adjacent each end of the packing element, one of said shoulders being slidable on the inner string for applying an endwise compressive force to the packing element to expand the outer surface of the same radially outwardly against the casing, and a deformable ring member surrounding the inner pipe string and interposed between each end of the packing element and the shoulder adjacent to the end, each ring having one surface engaging the end of the packing element and having its opposite surface, which is contiguous to the adjacent annular shoulder, initially disposed at an acute angle with respect to said shoulder whereby the outer marginal portion of each ring is tiltable toward the shoulder and outwardly toward the well casing upon the application of a compressive force to the packing element, whereby said rings bridge the space between the inner string of pipe and the outer casing to prevent endwise flow of the packing element.

ARTHUR J. PENICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,171,049 Simmons Aug. 29, 1939 2,204,648 Baker June 18, 1940 

